Caption: Herpes zoster. View of the face of an elderly woman with shingles, also known as Herpes zoster. The rash seen on the forehead and nose (at right) is due to Herpes infecting the trigeminal nerve of the face. The trigeminal nerve is a sensory nerve serving the scalp, teeth, mouth, nose and eyes. Here, the patient's left eye has periorbital swelling as a result. Herpes zoster is caused by the varicella-zoster virus which also causes chickenpox. It is an infection of the nerves that supply certain areas of the skin. Infection starts with pain, then a rash with red spots which turn into blisters. The pain is a consequence of nerve damage. Treatment is with antiviral drugs.